Italy head coach Antonio Conte is clear to take charge of Chelsea in the summer after being acquitted of charges pertaining to sporting fraud, an Italian judge has announced.

The 46-year-old, who will move to England and Stamford Bridge after leading Italy at the European Championship, had been accused of failing to report his knowledge of an incident of attempted match-fixing during his time as Siena boss in 2011.

Cremona-based prosecutor Roberto Di Martino had asked for Conte to be handed a suspended six-month prison sentence and fined 8,000 euros (£6,300), but the former Juventus coach, represented by lawyers, was on Monday acquitted by judge Pierpaolo Beluzzi during a preliminary hearing.

Conte will take charge of Chelsea following the end of Italy's involvement in Euro 2016 (Image: Getty)

Conte, 46, said: “Finally this ugly affair has come to an end. As I’ve always said, I’m a sportsman and know no other way of achieving success besides hard work and utter dedication.”